The Big Picture

Nicolas Cage delivers a vulnerable performance in
Pig
, showcasing his range as an actor.
The film explores themes of capitalism and the value of art, offering a critique of the fine dining industry.
Director Michael Sarnoski’s debut film has led to more ambitious projects, proving Cage’s risk paid off.

NicolasCage’s career trajectory is one of the most fascinating in film history. After breaking out in a series of films directed by his uncle, Francis Ford Coppola, Cage became one of the most ambitious dramatic actors of his generation, even winning an Academy Award for Best Actor for his heartbreaking performance in Leaving Las Vegas. Cage spent many years starring in blockbuster action films like The Rock and Face/Off, but the quality of his output began to go downhill after a series of disastrous projects that were heavily ridiculed. Although he became most closely associated with over-the-top moments of overacting, Cage delivered a beautifully intimate performance in the 2021 drama Pig by director Michael Sarnoski.

Perhaps Cage’s most admirable trait is that he rarely fails to be completely invested in the projects he appears in. Cage is never uninteresting on screen, but the 2010s didn’t often allow him opportunities to prove that he was a great actor. With the exception of a few supporting roles in larger films like Kick-Ass and Snowden, much of his work at this time was in smaller films. However, Pig proved that Cage was willing to take a risk on an up-and-coming filmmaker that other mainstream actors may have been more skeptical about working with. Considering that Sarnoski has now leveled up to work on the highly anticipated horror prequel, A Quiet Place: Day One, it appears that Cage’s bet paid off.

Pig Release Date July 16, 2021 Director Michael Sarnoski Runtime 92

What Is ‘Pig’ About?
Pig centers on a lonely truffle hunter who pursues his craft in isolation in the wilderness of Oregon. Although Rob Feld (Cage) was once a member of Portland’s high-society cuisine industry, he now lives alone in the company of a pig, who helps him hunt for truffles. These rare truffles are of high value to the young supplier, Amir (Alex Wolff), whose father, Darius (Adam Arkin) is involved with several high-end restaurants. While he is content to be alone, a group of enigmatic hunters kidnap the pig, leaving Rob without his most prized possession and best friend. This forces a reluctant Rob to return to the city for the first time in years to find the pig, while also coping with the traumatic memories of his past.

It’s somewhat ironic that he became known for over-the-top performances in The Wicker Man and Ghost Rider, among others, because Cage is remarkably soft-spoken and vulnerable in Pig. It becomes evident that Rob’s relationship with the title pig is not purely out of economic convenience. He genuinely takes pleasure in spending time with a creature that is incapable of betraying him. While eventually the film takes a more thrilling direction once Rob begins searching for the assailants, the first segment of the film is a heartfelt window into the daily reality of the characters’ lives. The intimacy that Sarnoski established makes the pig’s eventual kidnapping even more emotionally devastating.

Pig expertly breaks down the economics of fine dining, serving as a clever critique of capitalism. While there are multiple factors involved in Rob’s decision to break away from society, his primary motivation is that the other chefs and restaurants in the area purely saw food as a commodity. They did not put the care and personality into meals that Rob felt was so important. Where others look at the pig and see a tool that can help appease high-end clients, Rob sees something unique that is worth protecting. Pig tragically notes that the lingering effects of capitalism and greed end up drawing everyone in, even those like Rob who want to take no part in it.

‘Pig’ Takes Its Premise Seriously

Considering how many terrible direct-to-VOD action and thriller films Cage starred in over the past decade, it would have been easy to mistake Pig for another forgettable entry in his filmography. However, Sarnoski plays the premise of Pig straight, without any hints of irony. The somewhat unusual nature of Rob’s relationship with the pig is one of the film’s strengths, as he is constantly ridiculed by the other characters for why he cares so much. Thankfully, Sarnoski doesn’t ever rely on convention, as the film’s ending is particularly upsetting and bleak.

Pig is also proof that a dedication to process can be dramatically satisfying. The film takes the time to show both Rob and Amir perfecting their meals, which signifies what makes a “great chef” compared to a hired hand. While these are the type of details that are often cut out in favor of streamlining the narrative, Sarnoski chooses to immerse the viewers in the unique side of the world that the film is dedicated to. He makes the decision to depict cooking as a form of art, and one that for Rob requires intense mental concentration.

‘Pig’ Is a Throwback to Nicolas Cage’s Early Work

Pig isn’t the only memorable Cage film of the past few years, as he managed to turn in delightfully fun roles as himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent and Dracula in Renfield. It’s great to see that he has a sense of humor about his reputation, but Pig feels more in line with the critically acclaimed dramas that turned Cage into a sensation. The film’s gritty, unsentimental attitude evokes comparison to the coming-of-age drama Birdy and the subversive Hollywood satire Adaptation. These roles showed a quiet, contemplative side to Cage in which he plays more sensitive characters.

It’s admirable that Cage was willing to take a risk on an unproven talent in Sarnoski, as it would have been far easier for him to work with a more established name. Given how unusual the premise is, Pig may have struggled to find an audience without the novelty of Cage’s involvement. Thankfully, it became a critically acclaimed debut for Sarnoski that has allowed him to move on to even more ambitious projects.

Pig is streaming on Hulu in the U.S.

Watch on Hulu